Jonathan Baptiste and The Urban Intellectuals
Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, 1905 Kentucky Ave, Winter Park
Jonathan Baptiste is a bassist/composer, and native of Orlando, Florida. Raised in church, his roots are predominantly in Gospel. He attended Polk State College's music program, where he received the Marie Ann Golden and the Polk County Cultural Arts Scholarships. Jonathan is currently a Junior in UNF's Jazz Studies Program, where he is the recipient of the American Music Scholarship and Weinstein Memorial Scholarship in Leadership. This past year, he received the Most Outstanding Musician of the Year award at the UNF School of Music.
Jonathan is the 2018 Northeast Florida Jazz Association Jazz Scholarship Recipient. Outside of school, he is a music teacher at Ulysses Owens' Don't Miss A Beat Music Academy and Jacksonville Arts and Music School. He is also a freelance musician, having played with the likes of 2x Grammy Award winning Saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, Sofija Knezevic, Terry "Doc" Handy, Daniel D, Marcus Printup, Riza Printup, Nat Adderley, Jr., Jon Irabagon, Charenee Wade, Patrick Bartley, Jamison Ross, Fred Wesley, Alyson Williams, John Lumpkin and International Gospel Recording Artist, Lisa McClendon and others.
Recently, Jonathan received the great honor of being chosen by the legendary jazz trombonist Teddy Adams, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, as a Future of Jazz recipient. He and the other recipients were honored at the Savannah Heritage Festival. He performed with Teddy in a featured concert honoring the great bassist Ben Tucker and his music. Jonathan has also played with his band, The Urban Intellectuals at the 2018 Jacksonville Jazz Festival.